Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Ralph Waldo Emerson: Essays and Lectures, Book One. (1)

1803 -1882. New York: Literary Classics of the United States. 1983.

Why read it? Emerson’s unit of thought is the epigrammatic sentences. Emerson writes a poetic prose. Emerson’s beliefs—that each man shares in the Over-Soul, or God, that man possesses, within himself, the means to all knowledge—expressed in his memorable sentences, are of central importance in the history of American culture. The only trouble is most of his ideas are half-truths.

Ideas:

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” p. 115. ……….. “Whilst the multitude of men degrade each other, and give currency to desponding doctrines, the scholar must be a bringer of hope and must reinforce man against himself.” p. 116. ………. “To questions of this sort, nature replies, ‘I grow.’ ” p. 121. ………. “When nature has work to be done, she creates a genius to do it.” p. 123. ………. “Has anything been done?... Who did it? … plainly not any man, but all men: it was the prevalence and inundation of an idea.” p. 129. ………. “That man shall be learned who reduceth his learning to practice.” p. 131. ………. “…the whole interest of history lies in the fortunes of the poor.” p. 141. ………. “Every great and commanding moment in the annals of the world is the triumph of some enthusiasm.” p. 147. ………. “…it is not that men do not wish to act; they pine to be employed, but are paralyzed by the uncertainty what they should do.” p. 165. ………. “The two parties which divide the state, the party of conservatism and that of innovation, are very old, and have disputed the possession of the world ever since it was made.” p. 173. ………. “He [the radical] legislates for man as he ought to be…but he makes no allowance for friction…. p. 185. ………. “It will never make any difference to a hero what the laws are.”